Sherlock and Marie
by shiawasena neko
Summary: Sequel to the mpreg "Physically Impossible", this will be a collection of snapshots of the lives of Sherlock, his daughter Marie and their friends and family.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Marie's First Steps

John had just finished up with a patient when the receptionist paged him yet again.

"You've got another phone call," She explained. "Fourth one in the past half hour."

John sighed. He knew it was Sherlock calling. He tended to keep his mobile off while at the hospital out of respect for his patients. Sherlock could always call him through the work line if there was an emergency, anyway. If he was calling this often, something must have happened.

"Transfer it to room 141," John told her.

"Will do."

The line was quiet for a moment before he heard Sherlock's voice.

"John! I've been trying to reach you for ages!"

"You mean for the past thirty minutes."

"…Well, it felt like a long time," Sherlock replied.

John pinched the bridge of his nose. It had been a long day, and he really wasn't in the mood for games.

"Well, what is it, Sherlock? Need help with a case? Is Marie being colicky again?"

"No! No, that's not it at all. You must come home, John. It's urgent!"

"What is it?"

"Just come home!"

And with that, the line went dead.

John rolled his eyes as he hung up the phone, pulled his coat on, and informed the nurses that he would be taking lunch. If there ended up being some emergency, he'd call back in and tell them he wouldn't be returning.

Thankfully, he managed to hail a cab fairly quickly. Being midday, the roads were pretty quiet, too, so he made it back to 221B within a few minutes.

After paying the driver he got out and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for whatever might be in store for him.

00

"John! I'm in the living room!" Sherlock's voice rang out before John had even closed the door. How the he had heard him all the way upstairs, John had no idea.

"Coming," He called back.

He walked upstairs, opened the door and saw Sherlock, who was on his knees and holding his iPhone like a camera.

"John! Come look!"

John made his way over and finally saw what all the fuss was about. Marie had one hand on the couch and was slowly walking along.

Occasionally, she fell, but when she did, she got right back up as if it were nothing.

"Oh, wow," John said, watching as Sherlock helped his daughter back up.

"That's a good girl," Sherlock told her. "Daddy's so proud of you!" Then he turned to John. "John, take the camera!"

"Um... Alright," John answered, taking the phone from his friend.

"Make sure you get this on film!"

"Okay…"

Sherlock moved so that he was directly facing Marie, then held out his arms.

"Marie, darling, come to daddy!"

The little girl looked at him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not the command was worth her efforts, before slowly putting one foot in front of the other. Carefully, she made her way over before falling into her father's arms.

"Did you see that?!" Sherlock asked, excitedly.

"I did."

"Marie's first steps! And at ten months! That's fairly early!"

The look of pure joy on Sherlock's face made it impossible for John not to smile.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Marie's First Birthday

The theme for the party was the color purple, since it seemed to be Marie's favorite color.

Since it was Marie's first birthday, Sherlock had insisted that they go all out. Purple streamers were bought and hung from the ceiling. Purple balloons were purchased, and a vanilla cake was made using blue and red food coloring to make it a deep purple color, and it was topped with a purple candle.

Sherlock had done most of the decorating, while John and Mrs. Hudson took care of the food. Mrs. Hudson contributed a huge pan of baked ziti, while John cooked some sausage and peppers. Lestrade and Molly had promised to bring snacks, and Mycroft had promised to bring another dessert. The Holmes parents had promised to bring games, and Sierra had promised to bring Selah and James so that they could participate in the festivities with their half sister.

Half an hour before the party was to start, Sherlock dressed Marie in one of the purple dresses that Mrs. Hudson had given him. It had purple sequins on it, and she wore lilac socks and white shoes. A purple headband with a bow – purchased by Sherlock specifically for this occasion – was placed in Marie's hair.

Once she was dressed, Sherlock threw on his favorite purple shirt and a nice pair of jeans and took Marie to the living room to wait for their guests to arrive.

00

"My God, this is a lot of purple," Lestrade remarked.

He had been the first guest to arrive and, keeping with the theme, he'd worn a purple tie.

"Marie likes the color," Sherlock explained.

"Clearly." Lestrade smiled and handed his present over to John, who had a card table set up to hold any presents that the baby might receive.

Mycroft and Mr. and Mrs. Holmes had arrived next, all having come together in a limo that Mycroft had hired. Mrs. Holmes had purple earrings and a purple necklace on, while Mr. Holmes had dark purple socks. Mycroft showed up wearing a purple velvet suit jacket.

"Where the bloody hell did you get that?" John asked, looking the jacket over.

"The eighties were an odd time," Mycroft replied, blushing.

John nodded and tried to hold back laughter. He couldn't help himself when Sherlock commented a moment later, though.

"Mycroft! I remember that old thing! Got it taken in, did you? Remember when you wore it to the club and all of the girls –"

"Shut it, Sherlock," Mycroft warned.

"I want to hear what happened!" John snickered.

"Back in the early 90s, he wore it to a club and was called 'Barney' by several women there. Poor dear came home nearly in tears," Mrs. Holmes answered.

"Barney, eh?" John began to laugh.

Mycroft glared at him and his parents. "You're all horrible."

With that, he placed his presents on the card table and walked off to the living room.

Molly came next, wearing a light purple floral dress and white stockings. She had clipped purple barrettes into her hair as well.

"Hello, John!" She greeted her friend before turning to Sherlock. "Sherlock! Look at you, you've lost all your baby weight! And look at you, Marie!" She squealed, gently pinching Marie's cheek. "She's so pretty!"

"Thank you," Sherlock said. "And yes, she is often complimented for her beauty. I'll be chasing the men off with a baseball bat when she's older."

Molly smirked and moved on.

The last people to arrive were Sierra, Selah and James. Selah walked next to her mother and held James' hand, helping him walk along. In James' other hand was a purple balloon that read 'Happy birthday!'.

"Hello Sherlock, John," Sierra said as she and her children stepped up.

"Good day, Sierra," Sherlock replied. "And good day to you too, Selah and James."

Selah smiled and looked at her brother.

"James and me brought Marie a birthday balloon," She said.

"Did you now? That's very sweet of you!"

Selah nudged James and he quietly handed over the balloon to Sherlock, who showed it to Marie.

"See, Marie? Your sister and brother bought you a pretty balloon for your birthday!"

Since Marie still had yet to say her first word, she merely smiled widely and stared at it.

"She likes it," Sherlock assured the children. "You can never go wrong with something that's purple."

Sierra smiled.

"Thank you for inviting us."

"Of course. Wouldn't be a party without you."

Now that all of the guests had arrived, Sherlock closed the front door so that the party could begin.

00

At first, everyone sat in the living room, eating snacks and drinking juice and soda. Selah had taken the lead as far as playing and helping James and Marie. The three children were sitting on the floor, playing with blocks.

"Good job Marie!" Selah said as Marie stacked three blocks. She turned her attention to her brother. "James, do you want help building something?"

James was quiet. He nodded, and Selah moved to help him.

"She's very good with them," Sherlock noted to Sierra.

Sierra nodded. "Selah enjoys playing with James. I'm sure that she's happy to play with Marie, too."

Photos of the three were taken, as were photos of the adults.

Then the party moved to the table, where dinner progressed.

During this time, the adults mostly talked amongst themselves. John told everyone about his medical practice, and Sherlock showed every single person the video he had taken of Marie's first steps. Sierra discussed how Selah and James were doing, and Lestrade and Mycroft discussed subjects like work and the goings-on of the government.

Once everyone had finished eating, the table was cleared for the main event.

Mrs. Hudson came out of the kitchen holding Marie's birthday cake. The candle on it was lit and the cake was placed in front of Marie, but far enough out of her reach so she couldn't touch the fire and burn herself.

"Ready?" John asked, dimming the lights.

"Ready," Sherlock answered.

Everyone began singing 'Happy Birthday'. Marie was amused by this and she smiled and clapped throughout the song. When it was finished, Sherlock gently pushed Selah towards Marie.

"Why don't you help Marie blow out the candle?" He suggested.

Selah looked at him as if he had just given her a hundred pounds.

"Really?" She asked, grinning.

"Really. Go on, quickly! Before the wax melts!"

Selah nodded and hurried towards Marie's high chair. John got up from his seat so Selah could kneel and be at eye level with Marie.

"Come on Marie! Make a wish!" The girl told her.

Marie laughed and Selah blew out the candle. The entire group cheered.

Just as John pulled the candle from the cake, Marie surprised everyone by reaching forward and grabbing a huge hunk of the cake with her hand. She brought it to her mouth, took a small bite, the proceeded to shove it in John's face.

"Aw, thank you, Marie," He said, laughing.

The untouched parts of the cake were served, as was Mycroft's dessert of low-fat jello with fruit in it.

"Another wonderful low-fat dessert," Sherlock said as he spooned some of the jello onto his plate. "By wonderful, I mean flavorless, just to be clear."

Mycroft rolled his eyes.

An hour later, the party ended. By then, Marie was tired, and so was Sherlock. They'd gone to the living room after everyone had left. John went to retrieve Sherlock so that he could help clean up, but decided against it when he saw Sherlock lying on the couch with Marie on his chest, both sleeping soundly.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 3

The Reichenbach Fall and Immediately After

As Sherlock's fame grew after the Reichenbach Falls case, Marie was handed off to Mrs. Hudson more and more. While Sherlock would have liked to take his daughter to the numerous engagements and award ceremonies he was invited to, he felt it wrong to put her in the spotlight. He also figured that the large crowds and long days might bother her.

Thankfully, Mrs. Hudson never minded caring for Marie. She treated the girl as a surrogate granddaughter, and whenever she was unavailable, Sierra would come to the rescue.

As time wore on, Sherlock came to realize that things were going to change. With all that Moriarty was doing, he knew that he was likely not going to see Marie for a very long time. He hoped that wasn't the case. Maybe he could diffuse the situation with his nemesis before it went too far, but he prepared himself for the worst.

00

When he told Molly that he felt that he might die soon, he had given her instructions that in the case of his demise, she was to retrieve his iPhone and give it to Mycroft. On it were some things for Marie, including playlists, pictures of them together, and a recording of his voice.

Molly had tried to reassure him that it wouldn't come to that, but she promised to take his phone anyway.

A stop was made at Mycroft's house as well. In the light of day one could not see what Sherlock had done, but at night, it would become clear.

00

Days later, Sherlock stood on the ledge of the roof of St. Bart's hospital. He'd left Marie with Mrs. Hudson - she would surely keep her safe until Mycroft could take custody - but he hadn't counted on John bringing her back to the hospital with him.

He looked down below at the people gathered and spotted John, holding Marie in one arm while he pressed his mobile to his ear with his other hand.

God, how Sherlock wished Marie wasn't there. Logically, she probably wouldn't remember what happened, but still. He'd been trying to spare her as much pain as possible.

Tears rolled down Sherlock's cheeks and he swallowed nervously as he listened to John try to talk him down, but all that he could think of was Moriarty's threat - that everyone he loved would be killed, including his 'precious baby girl'.

He had to do it. If not for John or Mrs. Hudson, then for Marie.

"Goodbye, John." He whispered, dropping the phone. He aimed it for Moriarty's body so that it wouldn't shatter. "I'm sorry…"

A second later, he jumped. John stood by watching, jaw dropped and heart racing. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn't even hear Marie begin to cry.

00

One week later, Mycroft began his new nightly ritual of tucking Marie in. Sherlock had told him that, had something ever happened to him, he wanted Mycroft to care for her, and he'd promised to do so.

Marie looked up at him as he pulled a blanket over her and placed a stuffed animal nearby.

"Goodnight, darling." He said.

With that, he switched on the speaker system he'd hooked up. It only took a moment to pull up the playlist titled "For Marie". Within seconds, the song "Butterfly Kisses" filled the room. It was to be followed by several others - mostly lullabies, but with a few classical and slow rock songs thrown in.

He moved to turn off the regular light and turn on the blacklight he'd installed. Once he did, the message written on the wall in linseed oil became illuminated.

It consisted of three simple words: Daddy loves you.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 4

Sherlock's Return

Marie had been at daycare when Mycroft had gone to retrieve his brother; "Aunt Molly" had taken care of her afterward, since it took Mycroft and Sherlock more than a day to return.

It had been two years since Sherlock had "died", and in that time a lot had changed. Mycroft wondered how Sherlock would handle seeing his daughter again. He was sure that Marie would be alright. She was a tough little girl.

Now, the three were sitting at the table, eating dinner. Mycroft and Marie ate silently, and Sherlock was surprised by how well-mannered Marie was, considering that she was only three. He couldn't help but stare at her. She looked so much different than the last time he had seen her. Her hair was thick and curly, and splayed out into an afro. She wore a pink and white headband to keep the curls away from her face, a pink shirt and a white skirt. Sherlock wondered if Mycroft had dressed her nicely for the occasion or if she was normally dressed in such clothing.

After several moments of being stared at, Marie finally addressed the topic of the stranger sitting at the table.

"Uncle Mycroft, who is that?" She asked softly.

Mycroft glanced at Sherlock.

"Perhaps you should tell her," He suggested.

Sherlock nodded, his heart racing. How would Marie respond to his answer?

"I'm your daddy, Marie. And I've missed you very much."

Marie said nothing, but continued to stare at Sherlock. She was probably sizing him up.

"I know it's been a long time since we have seen each other, but I truly have missed you," Sherlock added.

There was another painful silence.

Finally, Marie spoke again.

"Okay."

The response was quiet and calm – detached, and to Sherlock, it felt like a punch to the gut. She did not recognize him, nor did she care for him. Not that he blamed her – he'd been gone for two whole years – but it still hurt.

Sherlock took a deep breath and stood up.

"Excuse me for a moment." He forced a smile and walked out of the room.

00

As soon as the washroom door was closed, Sherlock turned on the faucet and began to cry. He hoped that the running water would drown out any noise that he might make.

The entire time that he'd been taking out Moriarty's cohorts, he'd kept Marie in mind. More often than not the thought of her was the only thing that kept him going. He would never admit it, but his existence on the run was a lonely one. He missed his friends, even Mycroft. But most of all, he missed Marie.

"Oh, God." Sherlock sat in the corner of the bathroom, knees pulled up to his chest while he sobbed.

On Marie's second birthday, he'd lit a small candle for her. He'd been deep in the bowels of the Czech Republic, hiding out in a tunnel while a group of Moriarty's men looked for him, and he'd lit the candle and thought of her before blowing it out and wishing that her birthday was a good one.

He'd done something similar on her third birthday. And now, he was finally back with her, and she had no idea who he was.

00

Back at the table, Mycroft noticed that Sherlock had been gone for quite some time. He smiled at Marie.

"I'll be right back, darling. Miss Shadwell will stay with you," He referred to his maid.

The young woman stepped forward and also smiled at Marie, then took a seat next to her.

With Marie in safe hands, Mycroft headed off.

The sound of water running inside the washroom told him all that he needed to know. Sighing, he tapped gently on the door.

"Sherlock," He called. "Let me in, please."

Nothing.

Mycroft frowned and tried again.

"Sherlock, I know you're upset. Let me in so we can talk."

It was another few seconds before Mycroft saw the doorknob turn. Sherlock had unlocked it before returning to his space in the corner. Mycroft knelt down so that he was nearly eye level with Sherlock.

"Sherlock, I know it's tough now, but she'll get used to you."

Sherlock said nothing, and tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

"If she could get used to me, she can get used to you," Mycroft continued.

Sherlock sniffled.

"What… What has she done? I mean, she must be intelligent. Tell me what she's learned, what her life has been like, please," Sherlock pleaded.

"Well," Mycroft started. "She's enrolled in the Sandylane Daycare and she spends half of the day there, five days each week."

"That place is pretty upscale. I'd considered it for her myself when the time came," Sherlock noted.

"It seemed to fit her needs. You are right, she is very intelligent. She can already read."

The look of sadness in Sherlock's eyes briefly lifted.

"Can she, now?"

"Yes. She learned very young. Her favorite books are Hop on Pop and The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat."

"You couldn't give her something more educational to read?"

"She's three, Sherlock."

"Alright, fine. What else?"

"We think she may possess an eidetic memory, but we are not sure yet. She has friends at daycare and has attended several birthday parties. She seems to be fairly sociable, no doubt a trait she got from her other parent," Mycroft joked.

Sherlock didn't laugh. Again, he felt sad. He imagined Marie being taken to a birthday party, playing with other children, laughing and having fun. He hadn't been there for any of it.

"Do you celebrate her birthday?"

"Of course. Molly came around for her second and third birthday, as did Mrs. Hudson and your parents, even Lestrade showed up!"

"Not John," Sherlock said.

"No, John wasn't there. It might have been too painful for him."

Sherlock nodded.

"I missed him, too. God, I've missed so much…" This time, Sherlock was able to hold back his tears, though he was still miserable.

Mycroft laid a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Sherlock, again, I know it's hard, but things will get better. You'll have years to spend with Marie and in that time, she will come to love you as her father."

"I hope so," came Sherlock's response.

"I know so," Mycroft replied.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 5

Irene Fights the Law and Meets Marie

Sherlock had taken Marie back to 221B a few weeks after he'd returned to the UK. The child needed a little time to become acclimated to him and his flat.

Now six months had passed, and Sherlock and Marie were living peacefully. He'd even recently gotten back in touch with John and they'd become friends again. Or, rather, Sherlock had ended up saving John's life, and John forgave him.

So, all was well.

Sherlock had just finished tucking Marie into bed – she had a "big girl" bed now; a small, child-sized bed that Mycroft had purchased. It had been custom-painted purple.

"Call daddy if you need anything," Sherlock said after giving Marie a kiss on the forehead. He turned towards the door, stepped out of the room, and headed towards the living room, intent on catching up on the news before heading to bed himself.

When he arrived, he was surprised to see Irene Adler sitting in his armchair, legs crossed and a smile on her face.

"Miss Adler! To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked. "Also, how did you get in? I locked the door."

"I got in through the window. As far as my reasoning, well, that's a bit of a story."

"Hm." Sherlock thought for a moment, trying to figure out which window he may have left open. "It must have been the kitchen window. I don't recall having locked that one. Now, what about your story?"

"While I was in the states, I got into some trouble," Irene began. She held up her phone, which had a photo of her on it, clearly a mug shot. In it, she was soaking wet, her hair was disheveled, her makeup was running down her cheeks, and her tank top was torn, revealing a lacy black bra.

Sherlock's eyes grew wide at the sight. He handed the phone back to her and took a seat on the couch.

"I assume you mean that you jumped bail. What were you arrested for?"

"How did you know?"

"You're showing me a mug shot of yourself and you just stated that you had some trouble in the states. It wasn't all that hard to put together."

"Right. Perceptive as always. And you're correct, I did jump bail, but the charges are _completely_ unjustified. Anyway, I need a place to stay for the evening. I'll be out of your hair in the morning."

Sherlock wasn't about to let Irene off so easily, though. Not while Marie was in the flat.

"Explain what you mean by 'completely unjustified'."

Irene sighed. She was jet-lagged and really wanted to sleep, but decided she owed him an explanation.

"It all started in Mobile, Alabama. A lovely young man purchased my services, and I was more than happy to give them to him. The problem was that his mother stuck her nose into our business. As it turns out, the man was married. His mother called the police to file domestic abuse charges against me. I ran off, thinking that I could get away before the cops arrived, but she chased me down the street. Let me tell you, she was fast for 72 years old! It was also raining, so that hindered me a bit. Long story short, she jumped on me and hit me with a curling iron. I was unable to throw her off before the police showed up," Irene finished. She shook her head as a mental image of the old woman screaming '"Repent! Repent, you cheatin' bitch!" came about. The police had pulled the old woman off of her, telling the her to "Let the cheating bitch go."

Sherlock stared at her.

"Are you done?"

"I am. Needless to say, it was not one of my finer hours, and I wanted to forget about it as soon as possible, so I left the states."

Sherlock opened his mouth to respond when the sound of footsteps caught his attention.

"Marie! Sweetheart, what are you doing up?"

The little girl was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at Sherlock and Irene.

Marie shrugged but said nothing.

"She must have heard us talking," Sherlock explained.

Irene smiled at the sight of the little girl.

"Well, introduce us. Who is she?"

"She's my daughter." He turned to look at Marie, who was still standing there. "Come on down, dear. Meet my friend, Irene."

Slowly, Marie made her way down the steps, gripping the railing as she walked. When she finally arrived, she stood next to Sherlock until he picked her up and placed her on his lap.

"Oh, my! I had no idea. Hello, dear," Irene greeted her.

Marie rested her head against Sherlock's shoulder and gave Irene a half-hearted wave.

"She doesn't talk all that much."

"I see. May I ask who the lucky lady is?"

"Hm?"

"Well…" She didn't want to outright explain it in front of the child. Heaven forbid that the girl's mother had been injured or killed, or that she had left Marie and Sherlock behind. "I mean… who's the other… Come on, you know what I'm asking."

"I do. Hold on, let me take her back upstairs."

Sherlock stood up, gathered Marie in his arms and took her back to her bedroom. He tucked her in once again and closed the door before returning to Irene.

"Regarding your question, there is no 'lucky lady'."

"Oh… I'm sorry. Did she… did she pass?" Irene asked. "I mean, I know how dangerous some of your cases can be. Or did she leave?"

"I meant that there is, and never has been a woman involved. I gave birth to Marie."

Now it was Irene's turn to stare.

"I… see. So, are you really not a man, then? You certainly had me fooled."

"No, no. I'm definitely a man, Irene. Come on! Did you not hear of the virus that was causing men to become pregnant? Marie came about because I accidentally came in contact with the blood of a murder victim who was carrying the virus."

"I recall hearing of it briefly. It wasn't covered much on the news in the US. I think the virus was mainly restricted to Europe, was it not?"

"Surprisingly. I believe there were only one or two men in the US who got it."

"So the other parent is dead, then."

"I did say 'murder victim'."

"How… how did you… was she cut out of you?" Irene tried to make sense of it.

"No, I delivered her normally."

"So you're a hermaphrodite, now."

"Erm, no. Everything returned to normal, for lack of better words, after Marie was born."

"Wow."

"It _is_ quite a story," Sherlock admitted.

"To be honest, if anyone else told me it, I'd have not believed them. But _you_, Sherlock. This seems like just the thing that would happen to you."

Sherlock glared at Irene for a second before pulling himself up.

"Let me go make us some tea, then," He said. "And I'll be sure to lock the kitchen window while I'm at it."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 6

Marie's 6th Birthday

"My God, I can't believe she's already six!" Sherlock said, watching as Mycroft's staff worked to assemble tables, buffet trays, decorations, and a bouncy house.

They'd decided to have the party at Mycroft's because of the extra space his land afforded. The theme for this year was "Disney", and Marie was dressed as her favorite Disney Princess, Belle.

"I can't believe that a bouncy house cost three hundred pounds."

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"I paid for half of it, so it was only one hundred fifty for you."

Mycroft said nothing, but continued to look on as the bouncy house was inflated.

Seconds later, the sound of Marie's voice grabbed his attention.

"Daddy! Uncle Mycroft! Selah and James are here!" Marie ran over, holding up her skirt so that she wouldn't trip.

"Well, go greet them," Sherlock urged.

Marie nodded and hurried off towards the driveway, where Sierra had just pulled in. Selah exited wearing an Frozen-themed dress, though it wasn't quite as pretty as Marie's dress. Sherlock guessed that Sierra had probably made it herself, or had bought it at a cheap costume store. It made Sherlock feel a bit sad that Sierra had to struggle so much to get by.

Selah, however, did not seem to notice the difference between her dress and Marie's. To her, they were both royalty. James stood by, dressed in a pair of jeans and a Power Rangers t-shirt.

"Sherlock!" Selah called.

She took hold of James' hand and she, James, and Marie ran over to see him.

"Princess Selah!" Sherlock said, bowing to her.

"I'm Elsa!" Selah replied with a little curtsy.

"Ah, my mistake! And I see you've brought …erm… Kristoff?" Sherlock asked, referring to James. He often got the characters confused.

"Disney's dumb," James answered.

"Don't mind him." Selah said, glaring at her brother. "We did poorly with teaching him his manners."

James said nothing, but began eyeing the now-inflated bouncy house.

"You can go play, if you'd like," Mycroft offered.

Selah and Marie looked at each other.

"Let's go!" Both shouted.

Selah took her brother's hand and the three ran off.

00

Three hours later the party was in full swing. Disney music was being loudly played and a group of seven girls from Marie's class were sitting together at a table, having a 'tea party'.

Sherlock sat at the head of the table, having finally put on his costume. He was dressed as The Mad Hatter. It was a simple costume: a funny hat with flowers sticking out of it and a huge tag that read 'MAD' hanging off. He wore Mycroft's purple jacket as well.

"Pocahontas," Marie addressed one of her friends who was dressed as the character. "May you please pass the tea?"

'Pocahontas' nodded and passed over the plastic tea kettle. It held apple juice, but the children were pretending that it was tea. Marie poured herself a cup and looked at her father.

"Hatter, are you enjoying the party?"

"I am, but I fear the Jabberwocky may soon disturb us."

The children looked at him, wide eyed.

"The Jabberwocky?" One of them, a girl dressed as Snow White, asked.

"Yes – he's a true menace, I tell you! Very destructive! I can only hope that he has enough sense to stay away. He should know that you princesses would easily fight him off."

"Whoa," Came a collective response from the princesses.

In another part of the yard, Mycroft was busy making small talk with the adults. He hadn't dressed up for the party, though a few of the other grown-ups had.

Lestrade, particularly, had gone all out with a knight costume.

"Are you having fun in there?" Mycroft asked, tapping Lestrade's helmet.

"I am beginning to think that this costume was a bad idea, considering the weather."

It was a fairly warm day, and he was sweating profusely.

"Where'd you even get that thing?" John asked. He was dressed as a prince, but not a specific one. His daughter had insisted on it, apparently.

"I made it. It's amazing what you can accomplish with some poster board, a yoga mat and some silver spray paint!"

"Aren't the fumes getting to you?" Mycroft questioned. "I can smell the paint from here."

"To be honest, I stopped smelling it about three hours ago."

"Uh, you should probably at least take off the helmet," John suggested. "You know, with the paint fumes being toxic and all that."

"I think you might be right." Lestrade removed the helmet, thankful for the excuse to do so. Now he felt much cooler.

"And how are you enjoying the party?" Mycroft asked Molly. She was dressed as Aurora.

"Oh, I love it! It reminds me of when I was a little girl – how I loved Sleeping Beauty!" She grinned.

Mycroft couldn't help but smile at Molly looking so happy.

A moment later, Mrs. Hudson showed up bearing a bottle of wine and some glasses.

"The fairy godmother has come to grant our wish!" Lestrade exclaimed, taking a glass.

"I figured it was the least I could do," Mrs. Hudson replied. Her fake wings moved as a breeze hit, and she began pouring glasses of wine for everyone.

00

Mycroft had just finished his second glass when Marie, Selah, and one of their friends ran over to him.

"Uncle Mycroft!" Marie said, grabbing his hand. "Come to the bouncy house with us!"

"Oh, no," Mycroft replied. "I couldn't. That's for… uhm… royalty only!" In the corner of his eye, Mycroft could see Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson snickering.

"Hm," Marie thought for a second, then looked at her friend, who was wearing a tiara. "Cinderella, may I borrow your crown?"

The girl shrugged and handed it over. Marie took it and looked at her uncle.

"Uncle Mycroft, get down on one knee."

'Here we go,' Mycroft thought to himself. The 'clicking' sound coming from the right of him told him that someone – probably multiple people – were taking photos of this moment. Nonetheless, he did as he was told.

"As you wish, Belle."

Marie smiled and placed the tiara on Mycroft's head.

"I now proclaim you King Mycroft of… uh… London! Now you may come to the bouncy house."

It was at that moment that Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, Molly and John all burst out laughing.

Sighing, Mycroft allowed himself to be led away.

00

Mycroft did not last long in the bouncy house.

Between the two Snow Whites and three other princesses, he found himself constantly struggling to avoid accidently hitting any of the children as he bounced around. Within moments, he found himself falling at an odd angle. He felt his ankle twist and yelped in pain.

"Mycroft, are you alright?" John asked.

He and Mary had joined Sherlock and the other adults near the bouncy house and were watching everything.

"I'm fine! I swear I meant to do that!" Mycroft answered, even though he was still grimacing from the pain. "I think I may be done with the bouncy house, though." He carefully pushed himself up and made his way out.

"I probably ought to look at that," John noted that Mycroft was limping.

"I'm fine," Mycroft groused.

"But you're limping. You may have a fracture."

"I said I'm fine!" Mycroft snapped.

"Alright. Suffer if you'd like," John replied.

Sherlock, meanwhile, was shaking his head.

"Can't handle five minutes in the bouncy house? What kind of a king are you?"

Mycroft glared at Sherlock.

"You should go in and have some fun, since you'll be so much better at it."

Mycroft hadn't expected Sherlock to take him up on the challenge. He was surprised when Sherlock removed his hat and handed it off to John.

"Sounds like a fantastic idea!" He took off his shoes and made his way into the bouncy house. Seconds later he was jumping around, holding hands with Marie as they kicked off the walls and fell to the floor, laughing.

"See, it's not that hard!" Sherlock called out.

"I need some more wine," Mycroft grumbled. He limped over to the adult's section, with Molly and Mrs. Hudson following him.

00

As dusk came, a large birthday cake topped with several plastic Disney Princess figurines was brought out. It had dozens of candles on it and it lit up the table that it was placed on. Marie's friends and family surrounded her and sang "Happy Birthday".

When the song was over, Marie blew the candles out, and the cake was served.

In the end, Marie had gotten many presents, but it was the party itself that she most enjoyed. Sherlock had to admit that he had enjoyed it too. He'd even go so far as to say that it was one of the best days of his life so far.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this! Marie is around 7 years old here.

Ch. 7

Sherlock, Mycroft and Marie go to Disney World

Sherlock's cases often kept him extremely busy, so it was rare that he and Marie ever had a chance to take a vacation. Now that there was a lull, Sherlock was determined to take advantage of it.

He'd let Marie choose their destination. Being seven years old and still obsessed with Disney, it was no surprise that she chose to go to Disney World in Florida. Mycroft was invited to tag along as well. While he had acted as if he were uninterested and going along solely to make Marie happy, Sherlock had an inkling that his brother was excited.

00

After a nine hour flight and a huge debacle involving their hotel rooms – the manager had accidently given them keys to two rooms already in use, causing Mycroft and Sherlock to walk in on some "interesting" situations – the group was finally standing at the entrance to Disney.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest a little bit?" Mycroft asked. He was beginning to feel the effects of jet-lag.

"No, let's go!" Marie answered before skipping up to the ticket booth.

Mycroft sighed. He and Sherlock followed along.

"So, princess, what would you like to ride first?"

"Space Mountain!" She proclaimed, grinning.

"Ah, yes. The rollercoaster."

Mycroft eyed his brother.

"Hmm, perhaps you ought to sit this one out. We all know how badly such rides affect you."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure where you've gotten your information, but I'll have you know that I love rollercoasters."

"Right. Okay, then. Let's head over."

00

While there were lines wrapping around most of the rides, the purchase of a Fast Pass allowed Mycroft, Sherlock, and Marie to get to the front quickly.

As they were ushered in, Mycroft spoke to Sherlock one last time.

"Are you sure you don't want to back out? This is your last chance."

"Of course not! We're going to have a great time!" He forced a smile. Marie looked at him oddly, but said nothing.

"Alright, here we go," One of the workers said.

Within moments the rollercoaster took off, going around the brightly lit tunnels at an extremely high speed.

Sherlock could hear Marie and Mycroft yelling happily as the ride twisted and turned. He himself kept quiet and closed his eyes. Thankfully, the ride was over quickly.

"Let's do it again!" Marie said, as they exited. "Wasn't that amazing?!"

"It was!" Mycroft agreed. "Perhaps we should see if any photos were taken of us during the ride. It might be a nice souvenir."

The two walked towards the photo stand. When they got there, they realized that Sherlock wasn't with them.

"Daddy?" Marie called out, noticing that her father was sitting on a bench. He looked rather pale.

"Yes, darling?" He answered weakly.

Marie skipped over and sat down near him.

"Daddy, want to get a photo with us?"

"Yes, of course. Just give me a moment."

Mycroft couldn't help but snicker. Sherlock had always had problems with motion sickness. He'd hoped that perhaps his brother would be able to hold out a bit longer, but it looked like one turn was his limit.

"Marie, can you wait here for a moment?"

Marie nodded and watched as Mycroft led Sherlock over to a trash bin, where Sherlock promptly vomited. Marie wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The two returned soon. Sherlock looked a bit better but still weak.

"Sorry about that, dear." He rasped.

Mycroft handed Sherlock a water bottle and Sherlock gulped it down.

"So, how about we try something else besides a rollercoaster? Let your weakling of a daddy recover a bit?" Mycroft suggested, smirking. Sherlock glared at him, sure that this was payback for what had happened at Marie's birthday party.

Marie didn't look happy, but she agreed. Before they walked off, Mycroft whipped out his mobile phone and took a photo of Sherlock, forever preserving the moment.

00

Soon enough they were at the Haunted Mansion.

Along with a group of other people, the three were greeted by an eerie voice. Portraits that appeared on the walls began to stretch, causing some patrons to become frightened.

"Look at that," Sherlock whispered. "Isn't it scary! The walls are growing! And there's no doors or windows!"

Marie looked less than amused.

"It's fake, daddy."

"How do you know?" He pressed on.

"Because it's a ride. Of course it's fake. Only babies and dumb people would believe it's real."

Mycroft shifted his weight, ignoring the conversation. He wasn't afraid, but the atmosphere was slightly uncomfortable. Of course, Sherlock picked up on this.

"Your Uncle Mycroft is nervous, and he's not dumb!"

Marie looked at him.

"I'm beginning to doubt that."

"Oh, shut up. I'm not scared," He said to Sherlock. "It's just a bit creepy, that's all."

"Shhh!" Someone – a parent, most likely – hissed.

Mycroft shook his head but kept quiet until the ride was over.

00

"Who's the weakling now, Mycroft?" Sherlock asked, as they exited the ride.

"I wasn't scared! It was just uncomfortable."

"Riiiight."

"This is coming from the man who took one turn on Space Mountain and got sick."

The brothers stopped bickering when they noticed that Marie was staring at them. Both forced smiles at each other.

"So… shall we go to the tea cups, then?" Sherlock asked sweetly.

"I want a princess crown," Marie said, pointing to a vendor who was selling merchandise.

"…Of course, darling," Sherlock replied.

"Then the tea cups," Marie added.

"Absolutely."

As Marie wandered towards the vendor, Mycroft and Sherlock looked at each other, silently promising to keep their arguing to a minimum for the rest of the trip.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 8

Halloween

"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!" Sherlock and Marie sang in unison. A frustrated-looking, middle-aged woman frowned at them.

"Take your candy," She said, shoving a large bowl of bite sized Snickers into Sherlock's hands.

"Oooh, Snickers!" Irene grinned, swiping a piece of candy for herself. The woman at the door shook her head in irritation.

Irene and Sherlock were taking Marie trick or treating.

Every year, Sherlock took Marie, and every year, someone else ended up joining them. This year it was Irene. She was in town and had agreed to come out. She'd even dressed up for the occasion. Fake blood dripped down her face from fake gashes and cuts drawn in with makeup. Her clothes were torn and she made an effort to limp as she moved, effectively mimicking a walker from The Walking Dead.

Sherlock and Marie, on the other hand, had slightly nerdier costumes.

Sherlock had borrowed one of the lab coats from St. Bart's and carried a clipboard. A nametag reading "Dr. V. Frankenstein" was attached to the breast of the coat. Marie had dressed as Frankenstein's monster. Irene had helped to paint her face green and had used spirit gum to attach fake bolts to her neck. The costume was completed by using some wash-out hair dye to add a white streak to Marie's hair.

It was a particularly warm Halloween and several children walked the streets of London. As Sherlock, Marie and Irene made their way door to door, they tried to guess what each costume was.

"Hmmm. Space Elsa?" Irene asked, looking over a teenager that had what looked like an Elsa dress on and antennas coming out of her forehead.

"Probably," Sherlock replied. "Can't imagine what else she would be."

"Space Elsa sounds awesome." Marie added. "And look, there's an old lady!"

The adults looked over at a small child – probably not more than four - who had a white wig and fake glasses on and was pushing a small, homemade walker.

"That's actually pretty well-done," Sherlock noted. He smiled at the kid's parent, who smiled back.

Soon enough they had arrived at the next house. This time, a kindly-looking senior answered.

"Trick or treat, smell my feet-" Sherlock and Marie began again.

The man laughed when they finished and handed them both two pieces of candy. Then he caught sight of Irene.

"A walker! My God!" He said in mock horror. "Don't kill me!"

Marie giggled and the man smiled again.

00

After hitting up every house on the block, Sherlock decided that it was high time to take a trip to Mycroft's neighborhood.

"They give out full-sized candy bars there!" He exclaimed.

A phone call was made to Sierra in the hopes that she could take Selah and James over, and that they could all meet and trick or treat together. Once the plans were settled, Sherlock hailed a cab.

00

Sierra wasn't dressed up, but her kids were.

Selah had on a black shirt and leggings that had a neon pink skeleton painted on them, along with a rainbow tutu. Rainbow colored streaks ran through her hair. She looked like a punk rock skeleton. James had on a red Power Rangers costume.

"Cool costume," Marie said to Selah.

"Thanks, Mum helped me with the hair streaks."

"Irene helped with mine."

Meanwhile, Sherlock greeted Sierra and introduced her to Irene.

"Mycroft's house is over there," He said, pointing to a house across the street. "We should start with him."

"Do you think he's dressed up?" Marie asked.

"We'll see," Sherlock answered.

The group walked over and noticed that Mycroft's entire front lawn was covered with Halloween decorations. A large wooden coffin with a fake skeleton inside of it stood next to his porch, while plastic gravestones with fake hands clawing out littered the grass. Cobwebs were strung all over, and a giant spider was hung above the door. Purple and red lights flashed on an off, giving the yard an eerie glow.

"Whoa," Marie, Selah and Irene all spoke at the same time.

"Ehehehehehehehehe," Came a wicked sounding cackle. Everyone turned to see that the skeleton had been rigged to move and laugh.

"That's creepy," Sierra whispered, taking a step back.

James quickly took his mother's hand.

"I'll protect you!"

Sierra smiled.

The group approached the front door. Sherlock moved to knock, but the door flew open on its own. Out stepped Mycroft, dressed in a very elaborate – and probably very expensive – vampire costume. His hair, or what was left of it, was slicked back and his face painted white. He had a set of fangs and drops of blood painted on his chin.

"Hello, and velcome to my castle!" He greeted in an awful Transylvanian accent.

"He sounds like the Count from Sesame Street," Selah whispered to Marie, who started to laugh.

"And vhat do you find so funny?" Mycroft asked. "You should be terrified!"

"You sound like Count von Count," Selah answered, this time laughing as well.

Mycroft glared at the children.

"Fine, be like that." He snapped, using his regular voice again.

"Aw come on, they're just being funny. And that accent was terrible," Sherlock said.

Mycroft rolled his eyes.

"I suppose you've come for the full-sized candy bars?"

"As always."

"Right." He picked up a large bowl and smirked. "Take your pick."

Everyone chose their favorite candy and placed it in their respective bags.

"I had no idea that you were so into Halloween," Irene said.

"Well, having a niece does that to you. Makes the holidays a bit more fun."

"You should see him at Christmas! Those holiday sweaters – by God, they're hideous!"

"They light up and it makes the children happy!" Mycroft retorted.

"I like Uncle Mycroft's ugly sweaters," Marie chimed in.

The group of adults, including Mycroft, started laughing.

"Alright, then," Sherlock said, as they turned around. "Happy Halloween!"

"Same to you!" Mycroft called back.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 9

Sherlock and Marie See a Boy Band

"Isn't there anything else you'd like to do? Anything? Another trip to Disney, maybe? I'm sure I could put off some cases and we could fly there for the week."

"I'm too old for Disney, Dad. I want to see South Side Bae!" Marie crossed her arms and pouted.

Sherlock sighed. He'd feared this day for months.

South Side Bae was the new boy band that most of Marie's class was obsessed with. Sherlock would wager to say that most British pre-teen girls were obsessed with them. Specifically, Marie had a crush on Justin Summers, the skinny little blonde boy that sang with a sickeningly high voice.

"And there's nothing I can do to convince you to take something else as a present? Seriously, Marie, anything else."

Marie stood her ground and shook her head. Sherlock's shoulders slumped.

Reluctantly, he walked towards his laptop to order the tickets.

"And I suppose Amanda will be coming? What about Selah?"

"Selah's not into them. She says she's too old for that."

"God, I can't wait 'til you reach that age," Sherlock muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, darling. Daddy will order the tickets. Did Amanda's mum say yes to letting her go?"

"Of course!"

"Alright, then."

00

"Justin likes Abercrombie, so you should wear an Abercrombie shirt," Amanda, Marie's school friend said.

The two were sitting in the living room area of the flat, discussing what to wear for the concert. Sherlock listened in as best he could. When did his daughter start caring about fashion and boys? How hadn't he noticed it? Wasn't she young for this? He thought he at least had another two years left.

Then again, she was younger than most of her classmates, having skipped a year. She was around children who were slightly older, perhaps it was only natural that she acted more like them.

"Damn her intellect." He thought to himself.

"I think I have one," Marie answered. "How should I do my hair?"

"Ohh, I could braid it. Or you could leave it out, like you have now, with a headband. Maybe something that will match the shirt. What about me? What should I wear? I've heard Ethan likes girls who wear dark jeans…"

"You're too young for boys!" Sherlock called from his chair. He'd reached his limit.

There was a silence, though Sherlock thought that he could hear Amanda whisper something to the effect of, "Your dad is weird."

00

The day of the concert, Marie wore an Abercrombie shirt along, with a headband that matched. Thankfully, the outfit was conservative. He hated to think of what might happen in a few years, though. God willing, she would mature emotionally faster than the others. Maybe she wouldn't have an interest in boys and would just study and work like he did.

Well, Sherlock could dream, at least.

Amanda's mother dropped her off at the flat and soon enough, the three were off, Mycroft having offered to give them a lift to venue.

Mycroft had pitched in and bought the three box seats for the concert. Sherlock was grateful for this – it would make the experience more comfortable. Still, there came the task for hurdling through the crowds in front of the stadium to actually get to the seats.

"This way," Sherlock said, taking both girls' hands. He led them through a crowd of squealing teenyboppers and did his best not to cringe.

They'd almost made it to their seats when Sherlock felt Marie stop moving.

He and Amanda turned around to see what she was staring at.

And there it was: Justin Summers, Ethan Lee and Caleb Jones were all walking down the hallway. Three of the five members of South Side Bae were nearby.

Before Sherlock could properly react, both Marie and Amanda had grabbed his hands and dragged him towards the screaming crowd of girls that surrounded the singers.

"ETHAN! I LOVE YOU!" Amanda shouted.

Her voice was drowned out by the voices of the others, all yelling and reaching out to try to touch the three young men. By some miracle, Marie was standing still, at his side, and not yelling, though she seemed to be entranced by Justin Summers' presence. He wondered if perhaps Marie had inherited his good sense after all.

The boys, for their part, seemed to be lapping up the attention, giving high-fives to the younger girls and hugs to the older, more attractive ones.

Finally, the boys departed, and Sherlock was able to safely get Marie and Amanda to their seats.

00

Despite being in a secluded, walled-in area, the noise of the surrounding concert was overwhelming. Sherlock spent much of his time sitting back and trying to think of something else besides the god-awful lyrics and music of the songs SSB was singing, while Marie and Amanda remained pressed up against the glass of the box, staring intently at the band.

"I LOVE THIS ONE!" Amanda yelled, as some song that repeated the words "rock your body" came on. "Doesn't Ethan look so sexy?"

"Justin looks better," Marie countered.

"Lies!"

Though the statement sounded angry, both girls started laughing a second later. Sherlock shook his head and checked his watch. Only half an hour to go.

00

Sherlock and Marie did not get home until closer to 22:00. Marie had been bouncy and excited during most of the drive back, but once Amanda had been dropped off, she seemed to lose her energy. By the time they arrived him, she was ready for bed.

Sherlock tucked her in as usual, then made his way downstairs. He was tired, but he wanted to talk to another adult. The whole evening had been confusing and annoying and above all, much too loud. And there had been so many people. It was awful.

He knocked on Mrs. Hudson's door, hoping that she was still awake. Thankfully, she answered.

"Sherlock! What's going on?" She asked, a worried look on her face. "Is everything alright?"

"No."

"What's wrong?" She opened her door to let him in. "Did something happen with a case? Are you injured? You should call John if you're injured –"

"I'm not injured. I had to go… to a boy band concert." The last two words were said with such a sound of dread that Mrs. Hudson had to try her hardest not to laugh.

"Come inside, dear." She said, grinning. "Tell me all about it."

00

"There was so much squealing, Mrs. Hudson. And so many people! Thousands! All screaming, yelling! And there was this horrible auto-tuned music! And- and the worst part – did you know she likes boys, now?!"

Mrs. Hudson chuckled.

"She's just got a little crush. It's normal. When I was her age, I was absolutely in love with Don Everly."

"Don Everly?"

"Yes, from the Everly Brothers. Don't you know anything about music history?"

"I wasn't around then, so…"

"He was so handsome, with that nice wavy dark hair…" A dreamy smile crossed Mrs. Hudson's lips.

"Right. I still think she's too young to be chasing boys."

"She wasn't chasing them, she's just following along with what her classmates like. It's normal, anyway, even if she does have a little crush. If you think it's bad now, wait another five years."

"Oh good God." Sherlock's eyes grew wide.

"Take a seat before you faint," Mrs. Hudson said, pulling him towards a chair. "I'll make you some tea. Some nice, strong tea."

"Thank you," Sherlock replied, trying to calm himself down. Hopefully, whatever suitors Marie had in the future would know enough about him to stay away, or to at least be respectful.

Moments later Mrs. Hudson returned with a pot full of berry-flavored tea.

"Here we go," She said, pouring Sherlock a cup. She poured one for herself as well.

Sherlock sniffed it.

"Raspberry?"

"Yes. Try it. In fact, it's best if you drink it quickly. It's not very hot."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow but did as Mrs. Hudson suggested. Within seconds he could feel his throat burning.

"Vodka, Mrs. Hudson?" He asked.

"Like I said, it's 'very strong tea'."

It wasn't long before Sherlock began to feel a slight buzz. He hadn't eaten since earlier in the afternoon, prior to the concert.

"Y'know, if I didn't have such a bad day and I wasn't buzzed, I'd be mad at you."

"Mhmm. Want another cup?"

"Please," Sherlock answered, holding out his mug. "And thanks for listening."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for her help beta'ing this!

Ch. 10

Marie and Tony go to the Dance (and Sherlock Freaks Out)

Sherlock was rarely one to be nervous, but now, he couldn't help it.

Hinsdale School, where Marie attended the ninth grade, was having its first formal dance in two weeks.

Not only had Marie been going on about finding a dress for it, but she'd been talking non-stop about her date, Tony.

Sherlock had never met Tony, but he instinctively disliked the boy, if only because he was taking Marie on a date. Granted, it was a chaperoned date at the school, but Sherlock couldn't help but wonder how far things would go. Was Marie attracted to this Tony fellow? She was only twelve – far too young, in his opinion, to have a relationship. He felt that she was too young to go to the dance in general, but he couldn't just stop her from going.

'Damn her intellect.' He thought to himself for the fifth time that day. She was younger than the others in her grade because she had skipped a year.

After a good twelve hours of anxiety, he finally talked himself down. He had two weeks, and he was a detective, after all. Surely he could figure out who this Tony boy was and what Marie saw in him.

00

Sherlock had just finished hacking into the system and checking the school's student records. It was a huge risk – he could surely get into legal trouble for it – but it had seemed worth it at the time.

Now he wasn't so sure. His search had turned up only three boys named Anthony. After some meticulous research, which mainly consisted of searching their social media accounts, he concluded that none of them were the Tony that Marie had mentioned.

That meant that he did not go to her school.

Things just got infinitely harder.

00

Marie walked in an hour after Sherlock had finished his research. Selah had taken her to pick out a dress, and she'd settled on a thankfully conservative light pink gown.

"Hi dad," Marie greeted him, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Do you mind if Selah stays for a little bit? We want to go over different hairstyles for the dance."

"No, not at all." Sherlock looked up to see Selah still standing in the doorway, holding Marie's gown. "Hello, Selah."

"Uncle Sherlock," She said, smiling at him. "How have you been?"

"Doing well. You know… lots of cases and all. Boring stuff," He quickly closed his laptop, which had a Facebook page open on it.

Too late. Selah had caught it.

"On Facebook?" She asked.

"Oh… well, yes. People post everything to social media these days," He forced a smile. "It only makes sense to check it. My current suspect is rather young, so I was checking to see if he had written anything that might tie him to the crime."

It was a lie, and Sherlock knew it. Thankfully, Selah bought it.

"Oh. That makes sense. Well, we'll be off now. See you later!"

00

Sherlock contemplated asking Selah about this Tony character. Surely she would know something.

She and Marie were close. They spent a good deal of time together, even though Selah was older and seemed to be on a less promising academic path than Marie. She was in her final year of school now, and was planning on taking classes to become a hair stylist. Despite their differences, they got along well.

The only problem was that Selah would surely tell Marie if Sherlock asked anything, and that wouldn't end well. Marie would probably start lying to cover her tracks if she felt that he was snooping.

Sighing, he decided to turn to Mrs. Hudson for help.

00

The older woman was sitting downstairs watching television when Sherlock arrived. She'd quickly let him in and offered him some tea.

"The issue is that I've never met this guy, and I don't know what he's like and I don't know what he's going to do with Marie!" Sherlock finished.

Mrs. Hudson took a sip of her tea then looked at him.

"Well, eventually Marie will want to date boys."

"But she's only twelve!" Sherlock exclaimed. "She's too young for that!"

Mrs. Hudson smiled.

"The school will have chaperones, right? They can't do too much, even if they wanted to. You're a detective, haven't you been able to figure out something about him?"

"No. That's the worst part! I… well, I hate to admit this, but I logged into Marie's Facebook page."

Mrs. Hudson glared at him.

"Before you start, let me say that I had her password. I made her give it to me when she first created an account because I wanted to monitor it, what with online bullying being so rampant these days."

Mrs. Hudson sighed.

"Go on."

"I couldn't find anyone named Anthony or Tony listed on her friend's list. So then, I checked Selah's page. She and Marie are friends. Nothing there, either. I did a little bit of snooping on some of Marie's other friend's pages but came up empty, so this boy likely does not have a Facebook page, which means he is probably weird, or something is off with him, because almost all young teens have one these days."

"I really think you're overreacting, Sherlock." She put a hand on his arm. "You need to calm down. Why don't we go watch the telly, yeah? I DVR'd my favorite show!"

Sherlock reluctantly followed along, taking a seat on Mrs. Hudson's couch.

"And what show is that?" He asked.

"Why, Maury, of course! I swear people go on there just to get free paternal testing done," she replied. "But it's always a trainwreck. A beautiful trainwreck."

"…Right."

Mrs. Hudson turned on the program and Sherlock settled himself in for an hour of talk show drama.

00

Since Mrs. Hudson was of no help, Sherlock next turned to Mycroft. He made sure that Marie was out when he made the phone call.

"A security detail? You've got to be kidding me, Sherlock!" Mycroft responded, laughing to himself.

"It's not funny! This is my daughter and your niece that we're talking about, here!"

"Oh God," Mycroft took a deep breath to calm himself. "Sherlock, the school has chaperones."

"But what if they sneak off?"

"They won't. She's twelve."

"But what if he wants to?"

"I'm sure Marie has enough sense not to follow him. You underestimate your daughter, Sherlock," Mycroft replied. "She's not stupid."

Sherlock sighed. Mycroft was right, but the whole thing still ate at him.

"It really bothers me that she's never brought him around."

"Have you asked her to?"

"No. I don't want her to think I'm crazy."

"And sending a security detail to follow her on her first formal wouldn't scream that idea?"

"...I suppose you're right."

"I am right. Have you asked her about him at all?"

"I haven't had to. She keeps talking about him. 'Tony said this' or 'Tony likes this movie, too!'. What type of teenage boy likes the Twilight movies? Oh, he must be saying it to… to make her like him."

"You're probably right."

"That just makes it worse, then! He's manipulating her!"

"Will you listen to yourself? I know you're not the most social person, but it's fairly normal behavior for a young man trying to impress a girl. What you need, Sherlock, is to take a deep breath and calm down. You have two options: Ask Marie about Tony, or wait until the day of the dance and meet him yourself. You will easily be able to learn more about him then."

Sherlock thought for a moment.

"I suppose I'll wait. I don't want her to get upset with me if I ask. Twelve year olds are so difficult!"

"They are. And sadly, it will only get worse. But have faith in her. She's got a good head on her shoulders. I'm sure she'll be fine."

00

The day of the dance arrived and Marie's grade had been allowed to leave school early. Selah had come over to help Marie with her hair, makeup and accessories. Now, Marie was standing near Sherlock. Tony was to arrive soon, and Sherlock couldn't wait. He'd get a quick read on the boy, figure out his motives and take it from there.

"You look very pretty," Sherlock commented.

Selah had straightened Marie's hair and attached a small flower hair clip that matched her dress and the pink flats that she wore.

"Thank you, dad," Marie replied, blushing.

Right then, a car pulled up.

"Oh! That's Tony!" Marie squealed. She rushed to the door and Sherlock braced himself.

He had come to expect a lot of things, but the small framed red-headed girl that walked in was not one of them.

"Dad, this is Toni. Toni, this is my dad," Marie introduced him.

Sherlock's jaw nearly dropped.

"Toni," He mumbled, reaching out to shake her hand. "Short for Antionette, then?"

"Yes, Mr. Holmes," The girl replied.

"I see."

There was an awkward silence before Marie finally spoke.

"Toni and I didn't have dates to the formal, so we decided to be each other's dates."

Sherlock felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"That's a great idea!" He replied. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!"

Marie and Toni grinned, then Toni began motioning to the door.

"My mum's outside waiting for us, so we probably ought to get going," She said. "But it's a pleasure meeting you."

Sherlock smiled back. "You too, Toni. You too."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Many thanks to Phish Tacko for beta'ing this!

Ch. 11

Marie Graduates Secondary School

At age sixteen, Marie was the youngest graduate of Hinsdale School, and she ranked highest in her class. Somehow, she'd managed to balance a social life with good grades and had succeeded in both making friends and getting into every university that she'd applied to.

While she was proud of her accomplishments, she felt somewhat nervous. She had only recently chosen her university and accommodations, and she still had a lot to do as far as preparations went. She'd had to write a speech too, because the headmaster had wanted her to say something to her classmates. She could do public speaking well enough, but she never particularly enjoyed it.

And now, there she was, standing off to the side of the stage, waiting to be called up to the microphone.

Marie glanced around, looking for her father, Mycroft, Sierra and Selah. James was still in school, or he would have come along too. Eventually, she found them all sitting near the front. Sherlock had his phone in hand, ready to record the event. Mycroft looked almost tearful and Sierra looked proud. Selah had a massive grin on her face. She was proud of her half-sister, and she'd taken off of work at the salon to be there for the ceremony.

Having found her family, she turned her attention back to the headmaster, who was concluding his speech. She would be up next. She briefly looked herself over as best she could, checking to make sure that her gown and cap were on properly. Selah had straightened Marie's hair specifically so that the cap would fit well and had even done her makeup. Hopefully, it all had stayed in place.

Soon enough, her name was being called.

"…And we'd like to present Miss Marie Holmes, our most top ranking student."

There was applause, and Marie stepped forward.

Perfectly poised, she spoke loudly and clearly enough for everyone to understand. Her speech consisted of some parts nostalgia, some parts hope, and a few lyrics from the song "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen". The song had good advice, after all.

At the end of it, the crowd clapped once again. Marie gracefully stepped down from the podium and another well-known student took her place.

00

Later that evening, Marie stood at home, several friends gathered around her. Mrs. Hudson had stepped in and helped organize a graduation party, and everyone that had been invited had actually shown up. The place was buzzing with activity.

As Marie talked to her friends, a thought ran through her mind. She might not see some of these people next year. The coming summer might be it, for next year came university, and she would be away from home for much of the year.

The thought made her sad, but also a bit excited. University would be a new adventure; she would meet new people, live in a new place and learn new things.

At the same time, she considered how quickly time had passed. It seemed like only recently, she had gone to her first formal with Toni, and now she was graduating secondary school.

Across the room, Sherlock sat quietly with Mycroft, John and Lestrade with the same thought on his mind.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you to Phish Tacko for beta'ing this!

Ch. 12

Away at University/Little Shop of Horrors

Sherlock sat home, drinking a glass of wine and staring down at his hand. He was holding a picture of Marie at her sixth birthday party. It was one of many that Mycroft had dropped off earlier. He'd found copies of them and thought that perhaps Sherlock might like them.

Marie had looked so adorable, dressed in her little princess Belle outfit. In this particular photo, she was standing between Sherlock and Mycroft, a huge grin on her face. It hurt Sherlock to an extent; the photo had been taken twelve years prior, but he could fully imagine the party as if it had occurred yesterday.

She was in her second year of university now. Sherlock couldn't be more proud of her – majoring in Forensic Psychology with first class marks in all subjects – but he missed her.

Sure, she was still living in London and she stopped in on weekends sometimes, but the house didn't feel the same without her in it. It was empty.

Knowing that nothing besides seeing his little girl would make him feel better, Sherlock resolved to surprise her. She had mentioned that she was involved in theater, and that the university would soon put on a play. He fully intended to be there for opening night.

00

Sherlock ended up taking Mrs. Hudson as his "date" to the play. It was Little Shop of Horrors, and Marie would play Ronnette, a member of the Greek chorus.

She wouldn't be expecting him. He'd told her that he would go see the weekend production of it, and that he would bring Mycroft along too. It wasn't exactly a lie – he planned to see that show as well – he would just see this one first.

"How do I look?" Sherlock asked before he and Mrs. Hudson stepped into the university theater. He had worn his good suit, something that Mrs. Hudson thought was a bit much, but she didn't feel like arguing.

"Dashing," She told him. "A bit overdressed, but you always look handsome." She brushed a lock of his hair – now tinged with gray – from his face.

"Thank you." He replied. He held out his arm. Mrs. Hudson slipped hers around it and into the theater they went.

00

Marie's roommate, Dana, had been the one to encourage her to try theater.

"You need a break from studying all the time. And you'd get top marks anyway, so why not have some fun?" Dana had asked. She was a member herself, and had been given the part of Audrey.

Marie and Dana thankfully got along very well. They had met in class during Marie's first semester, had hit it off, and had been roommates ever since. Dana was double majoring in organic chemistry and biology, and like Marie, she had top marks. Marie found it nice to have a friend who was as intelligent as she was.

"It might be scary!" Marie had protested. She could imagine herself getting up on stage, having memorized her lines, and totally freezing up.

"No way! There's a lot of rehearsal. By the time we go live, you'll be completely prepared!"

So, Marie had decided to give it a try. She was glad that her role wasn't too prominent. Yes, she appeared in several scenes, but she only had one speaking part. The rest was singing.

The cast had just finished singing "Downtown" when Marie noticed them. Her father, dressed in his best suit, of all things, was sitting in the front row, grinning. Mrs. Hudson sat next to him. Marie's eyes widened. She hadn't expected her father to be there! Not yet, at least. She would've liked to have done a few shows before him seeing her perform!

'Stay calm!' She told herself. 'Focus'.

She pushed down any stage fright she might have and went on with the show. Seeing David Kay play Seymour helped things; she'd had a crush on him for months. He was, to her, wonderfully dorky, funny, witty and all around awesome. Even with the massive, nerdy glasses that he had to wear for his part as Seymour, he looked handsome.

The play continued without a hitch. The crowd gasped as Orin Scrivello, DDS, was chopped up by Seymour, and when Audrey 2 ate Mushnik. At the end, there were a lot of 'awws' and applause. When the entire cast came out, they received a standing ovation. Sherlock seemed to be doing his best to clap the loudest of everyone there.

00

After the show ended, much of the cast went off to party, but Marie stayed around for her dad. As soon as she was out of costume, she ran over to him.

"Daddy!" She said, giving him a hug.

Sherlock was knocked back a bit, but caught his balance.

"Marie! What a lovely performance!"

Marie smiled and moved to hug Mrs. Hudson.

"Lovely indeed," Mrs. Hudson echoed. "Though a bit bloody."

"Well, it_ is_ a dark comedy…" Marie explained.

"I know, I know. You did a good job. I didn't know you could sing!"

"Marie can do many things," Sherlock said, beaming. All of the emptiness he'd felt earlier had been replaced by joy. Joy, and a bit of fear. "So, what do you say we grab a bite to eat? It would be nice to catch up. I'd like to know about that David boy, too."

Marie couldn't help but blush.

"The guy who played Seymour? What about him?"

Sherlock smirked.

"Let's just go to dinner. Then we can talk."

00

Marie wasn't entirely surprised that her father had figured out that she had a crush on David. He made a living reading people and their actions. Still, it was somewhat awkward explaining how she'd met him, how long she had liked him and whether or not they'd gone out already.

In the end, Sherlock had just made her promise to be safe, and not to get herself into any trouble.

Marie went back to her dorm that night happy, thinking of how well the play had gone off, of seeing her father and of David.

Sherlock went back home and, tired as he was, ran a background check on David Kay.


End file.
